Dricus Du Plessis (left)(image via UFC/YouTube)

By FCF Staff

Following UFC 305, Alex Pereira let the MMA world know that he wants to drop to middleweight one more time for a showdown with Dricus du Plessis. But, the current champ claims that would prove to be a very costly mistake.

Du Plessis faced former champ Israel Adesanya in the card’s headliner on Saturday, and finished the fight with a fourth-round, rear-naked-choke. Afterward, the former middleweight champ and current, light heavyweight champ, Pereira, shared via social media that he would return to middleweight “one more time.”

When asked about Pereira’s comment during the post-fight presser, du Plessis argued the move wouldn’t work out well for the decorated fighter (quotes via MMA Fighting).

“I honestly don’t think Alex Pereira should drop down to 185. If he wants to, great, perfect. But then we’re going to hear the excuses. I saw Izzy stiff that man in the first round. I felt Izzy’s punching power tonight. Izzy has great timing, he’s fast, he’s long and he has great combinations, but I felt the power.”

“If Izzy stiffens you like that, you do not want to be in there with me, especially not when you’ve got to come in there with the excuses, ‘Oh, I cut too much weight.’ That’s going to happen. Everybody’s going to say it.”

The South African champion proceeded to reference Pereira’s recently announced fight with Khalil Rountree, which is taking place at UFC 307, October 5th.

“Stay at 205, fight your fight against the No. 8 ranked guy. Fight your fight there and enjoy it. If Strickland is the next fight, the people want to see that fight — if that’s the fight that people want to see and that’s the fight right now people think is the next best guy, then it’s the fight that I want. So let me handle my business, you handle your business.”

Du Plessis (22-2), meanwhile, is expected to fight former champ, Sean Strickland next. The two fought in January and du Plessis won the title via a split decision victory.